Long Trail
| Long Trail | |
|---|---|
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| Camel's Hump from the Long Trail | |
| Length | 272 mi (438 km) |
| Location | Vermont, United States |
| Use | Hiking, Snowshoeing |
| Highest point | Mount Mansfield |
| Lowest point | Winooski River at Jonesville |
| Trail difficulty | Moderate to Strenuous |
| Season | Late spring through late fall |
The Long Trail is a hiking trail located in Vermont, running the length of the state. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States,[1] constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club. The club remains the primary organization responsible for the trail, and is recognized by the state legislature as "the founder, sponsor, defender, and protector" of the Long Trail System.
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[edit] Geography
The Long Trail currently runs 272 miles (438 km) through the state of Vermont. It starts at the Massachusetts border (near Williamstown, Massachusetts), and runs north to the Canadian border (near North Troy, Vermont). It runs along the main ridge of the Green Mountains, coinciding with the Appalachian Trail for 100 miles (160 km) in southern Vermont. Additionally, over 175 miles (282 km) of side trails complete the Long Trail System.[2]
The Long Trail traverses almost all of the Green Mountains' major summits, including (from south to north) Glastenbury Mountain, Stratton Mountain, Killington Peak, Mount Abraham, Mount Ellen, Camel's Hump, Mount Mansfield, and Jay Peak.
[edit] Maintenance
The Long Trail is maintained primarily by the Green Mountain Club. Fourteen club sections maintain assigned sections of the trail. Although volunteers perform most of the club's work, the club also employs a staff to handle day-to-day operations. The Green Mountain Club also receives assistance from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and private landowners.
[edit] Historical curiosities
The section of the Long Trail between Woodford (on Vermont State Route 9 just east of Bennington, Vt) and Glastenbury Mountain some 10 miles (16 km) further north has gained notoriety due to the fact that at least four people inexplicably vanished in that area between 1945 and 1950. Only one body was subsequently found and the fate of the other missing persons remains a mystery.
The case which perhaps gained the most media attention at the time was the disappearance of the 18-year-old Bennington College sophomore Paula Jean Welden, of Stamford, Connecticut, (elder daughter of industrial designer William Archibald Welden of the Revere Copper and Brass Company), who in the afternoon of December 1, 1946 set out on a day-hike on the Long Trail from Woodford Hollow and northwards in the direction of Glastenbury Mountain. Despite repeated and extensive searches of the area nothing was ever found.[3] Foul play is suspected in her disappearance.[4]
[edit] Image gallery
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Baker Peak in the White Rocks National Recreation Area
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Little Rock Pond from the Long Trail
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View of Mount Mansfield from the Long Trail
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Long Trail - Green Mountain Club - Long Trail, Vermont, Hiking, Vermont Hiking
- ^ Green Mountain Club - The Long Trail: Vermont's "Footpath in the Wilderness"
- ^ "Paula Jean Welden". The Charley Project. http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/w/welden_paula.html. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
- ^ Dooling, Michael C. Clueless in New England: The Unsolved Disappearances of Paula Welden, Connie Smith, and Katherine Hull. The Carrollton Press, 2010.
[edit] External links
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- Hiking trails in Vermont
- Long-distance trails in the United States
- Vermont culture
- National Recreation Trails of the United States
- Protected areas of Addison County, Vermont
- Protected areas of Bennington County, Vermont
- Protected areas of Orleans County, Vermont
- Protected areas of Windham County, Vermont
- Protected areas of Rutland County, Vermont
- Protected areas of Chittenden County, Vermont
